ssons were
more carefully learned, obedience was not perhaps more prompt, but
it was more willing, and the boys lost no opportunity of showing how
anxious they were to please in every respect.

Ned and his brother were not present when Mr. Porson explained the cause
of Mather's absence to the others, but they were surrounded by their
schoolfellows, all eager to tell the news upon their arrival in the
playground a few minutes before the school began.

Before breaking up in June, Porson's played their first cricket match
with a strong village team, and beat them handsomely, although, as the
boys said, it was to their master's bowling that their success was due.
Still the eleven all batted fairly, and made so long a score that they
won in one innings; and Mr. Porson promised them that before the season
ended they should have a whole holiday, and play the Marsden eleven.

Ned enjoyed his holiday rambles, taking several long walks across the
moors accompanied by Bill Swinton, who had now perfectly recovered. The
discontent among the croppers, and indeed among the workers in the mills
generally through the country was as great as ever; but the season was a
good one; bread had fallen somewhat in price, and the pinch was a little
less severe than it had been. The majority of the masters had been
intimidated by the action of their hands from introducing the new
machinery, and so far the relations between master and men, in that part
of Yorkshire at any rate, remained unchanged. But although Ned enjoyed
his rambles he was glad when the holidays were over. He had no friends
of his own age in Marsden; his brother was too young to accompany him
in his long walks, and Bill obtained a berth in one of the mills shortly
after the holidays began, and was no longer available. Therefore Ned
looked forward to meeting his schoolfellows again, to the fun of the
cricket field and playground, and even to lessons, for these were no
longer terrible.

The school reopened with largely increased numbers. The reports which
the boys had taken home of the changed conditions of things and of their
master's kindness excited among all their friends an intense longing to
go to a school where the state of things was so different to that which
prevailed elsewhere; and the parents were equally satisfied with the
results of the new master's teaching. Such as took the trouble to ask
their boys questions found that they had acquired a real grasp of the
subje